Two former Parramatta Eels players are accused of harbouring semi-automatic weapons and possessing more than half-a-million dollars in cash after dramatic arrests in Sydney's Centennial Park yesterday.

Russian watchdog forces porn website users to lodge passport details

A bitter stoush between adult streaming service PornHub and the Russian government has forced users to register their passport details if they wish to view content.

The pornography video website has maintained a strained relationship with Russian officials for some time over its free-to-view access and content.

In 2015, 11 pornography websites were blocked by Russian state watchdog Roskomnadzor over the "the illegal production, dissemination and advertisement of pornographic materials and objects", BBC reports.

The censorship restrictions - which do not specifically ban sexually explicit content – were implemented on the basis the websites breached the nation's ambiguous child protection laws.

In September 2016, PornHub was also restricted by the ban but managed to have itself reinstated by requiring users to enter their dates of birth.

However, the adult streaming service has one again come under fire from the watchdog, with viewers now forced to log in through state social media platform, Vkontakte, which requires users to register their mobile phone numbers and passport details, Vice reports.

"While this exact method is not a condition (from Roskomnadzor), we found this is the best solution for our users to comply with Russian access laws," Pornhub Vice President Corey Price said.